LOS ANGELES — Gaby Lopez is staying a few minutes away from Riviera Country Club, hosted by a member with a pool and a view of the fifth hole. She has cool digs in which to rest, and she won’t be one of the players who is complaining about traffic getting to and from the U.S. Women’s Open.
Not only does the 32-year-old Lopez feel comfortable at the house, she feels confidence at this course and it showed with an opening-round three-under 68 on Thursday that featured five birdies on her first nine after she started on No. 10.
“What is it that I love? It feels like Mexico,” Lopez said. “This is exactly the kind of grass that I grew up in, kikuyu and poa. I feel like I put myself in position that I’m hitting more fades off the tee, and that’s helping a lot. Overall, I feel like it’s just getting a little bit more familiar. I’m a little bit more adaptable than past years, with different type of shots and different type of grasses as well.”
Lopez is from Mexico City and she’s proud of her culture and heritage. You can see it in so much of what she does, wears and how she treats people. Just as her Hall of Fame countrywoman Lorena Ochoa, she’s had a long-standing tradition of meeting the grounds crew at every tournament, chatting with them and taking a picture. It’s not a photo opportunity. It’s about connection.
“This week, everyone is Mexican in the kitchen. Everyone is Mexican in the staff and the groundskeepers. I really like to stay close to them,” Lopez said. “I love to say thank you and hello by their name, and I think they need that respect and they need that showcase as well. They wake up at 3, 4 a.m. every single day for us, and we don’t see it. We just show up and play. There’s people behind making the work for us, and I think me just taking a little bit of time and just staying close to them, they’re Mexican, and I’m very proud to represent them.”
She very often has employees of the tournament golf course in her gallery for a bit, and you can be sure that she’ll have plenty of support come Sunday, whether she’s in contention or not.
Lopez has cut back on some LPGA Tour events, so she can focus on her desire to win a major. She’s won three tour events, but she wants to take that next step. Practicing at Riviera before the event week was part of it.
Gaby Lopez hits off the fairway on the ninth hole.
Gina Ferazzi
“I think this time I came a little bit more than other years. This year I changed my schedule and I’ve been focusing more on majors,” Lopez said. “I’m barely playing any other events towards the middle of the season. That’s something that I didn’t do before. I feel that getting more rest, getting more time to prep exactly what the golf courses are needing, and that’s helping me a lot.”
She has two top-10s and has made the cut in all eight events she’s played this season. After this week, she plans to take more time off before the majors season heats up against with the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Amundi Evian Championship, Scottish Open and AIG Women’s British Open.
This year, Lopez became a Marie Birdie ambassador. It’s a female-owned golf apparel company. She’s wearing the brand on the course, and this is a big week for her and the brand’s owner, who is also Mexican.
“Rebekah [Alfond] has been such a great ambassador for the game, for kids, for women, for little girls,” Lopez said. “She started this company with her two daughters, and she’s growing the game from the bottom up, and that’s exactly how I do it as well. I love to help little kids and girls and get involved with them, and that’s how you inspire kids then teens and then women overall.”
Lopez finished the morning wave one shot behind Sei Young Kim, and she believes she didn’t let three three bogeys after her hot start derail the rest of her round. She credits that with being more adaptable this season.
“Just be more flexible, a little bit more acceptance on missing. ‘Yeah, we’re going to miss. We’re going to make bogeys.’ I just have to stay away from double bogeys this week,” she said. “It’s OK to make three bogeys on the back nine or on the front. It’s OK. Golf is not perfect. The more I accept that and the more I’m OK with that, I’m going to be more at peace out there.”
And feeling more at home.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
